The Sweep Eludes Pittsburgh Again: Why the Pirates Can't Complete a Sweep in 2021
You haven't gotten the chance to say it much this season, but the Pittsburgh Pirates entered Wednesday night's game as the better team on paper. The Pirates were 46-80 entering play against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who sat at 42-85. The Pirates had taken the first two games of the series and entered Wednesday still looking for that first sweep of the year. In ten previous chances, the Pirates were 0-10 this season, but this time it looked like they had a shot. Bryse Wilson did his part, throwing five shutout innings and the Pirates rewarded him with a 2-0 lead. However, that lead would fade as the Diamondbacks tied the game in the sixth and scored five runs in the past three innings to win 5-2.
It moved the team to 0-11 this season when they have a chance to sweep a series, and they are still the only team to not complete a sweep in 2021. I'm those 11 games, the Pirates have been outscored 63-24 in those games and just haven't been the same team that they show early in the series. So what changes between games one and two and sweeping the series. Sometimes, it is the pitching match-up, as was the case most recently in St. Louis when Adam Wainwright took the hill. In other cases, it is a product of the team just not finishing the series correctly. Either way, the Pirates are trying to become the last team in baseball to finally pull off the sweep this season. Today, we look at why the Pirates have been so bad in this scenario, and whether or not we will see a sweep by the Pirates at some point this season.
Not Finishing Strong
After a strong start to the series vs. the Diamondbacks, winning the first two games 6-5 and 4-2, the Pirates were unable to finish strong dropping the third game 5-2. This has been a trend throughout the season, and not just when there is a sweep on the line. In the final game of a series this year, whether it be two, three, or four games, the Pirates have a record of 8-33. It has been even worse over the month of August as the Pirates have dropped every series finale they have played this month. Granted they only have six total wins in the month of August, four of those coming in the last week, but it shows they seemingly fade out in the final game of a series. Part of it is due to the lack of a consistent starting pitcher, and part of it is because the offense can't get anything going.
The Pirates rotation has been a living breathing document throughout the entirety of the 2021 season. In total, the Pirates have used 13 different starters in the rotation, that looks vastly different than it did at the start of the year. Because of this, you haven't had that guy yet where you can pencil in a win for. In the playoff years in 2013 and 2014, that guy was AJ Brunett who every time he took the mound you knew there was a good chance you would win that night's game. This season, every starter has shown flashes of being that guy, but nobody has been able to do it on a consistent basis. Whether it be because of injury or ineffectiveness, that stopper hasn't been there and it has hurt the Pirates in these series finales.
Another problem is the Pirate's inconsistent offense not scoring runs when the team needs them. For example, last night looked like a very good shot for Pittsburgh to get their first sweep. Bryse Wilson pitched a shutout into the fifth inning, and the Pirates had a 2-0 lead. However, once Arizona bounced back late, the Pirates had no answer and ended up falling 5-2. In the ninth, Anthony Alford got on with a double to start things, but the Pirates couldn't do anything with it. Even with young star Ke'Bryan Hayes at the plate, it didn't go according to plan. In the final game of the series this month, the Pirates have been outscored 38-17 as the offense hasn't gotten it done. It is a combination of both pitching and offense, and both need to be more consistent for the sweeps to occur.
Finding Their Consistency
The big thing for the Pirates that won't only help them in series finales but in general is consistency. Not one player, with the exception of Bryan Reynolds, has shown any sort of consistency. The pitching staff has been up and down all season long, and the offense has gone from looking like they couldn't be stopped to looking like they can't hit the ball. This has been the biggest problem and one that has frustrated Manager Derek Shelton. There have been some guys who have shown some spark, but then get knocked down once the league adjusts to them. Even Ke'Bryan Hayes has been plagued with inconsistency, going from a potential Rookie of the Year candidate to a struggling second-year guy who hasn't been able to adjust.
With the September call-ups about ready to be called upon, it is a chance for younger players to show what they can do. The rosters aren't expanding as much as they were in seasons past with only 28 players getting the call, but those players are going to have to make their impact. With so much opportunity surrounding the 2022 team, anyone who shows that they can have some success could have a chance to compete for a starting spot on next season's team. The pitching staff is one that has the biggest opportunity for success, but all over the field there are spots for the taking, and it is up to the players to seize those opportunities.
There is still a month left in the season, and with eight series left, there is still time for the Pirates to clinch their first series sweep. They play the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and Philadelphia Phillies. Of those series, the one where the Pirates may have the best chance is against Miami and Detroit. The key is consistency, and the Pirates have to start showing that. As a team, they aren't going anywhere in terms of the playoffs, but there is plenty of opportunities available. It is up to the Pirates to seize those opportunities and show more consistent play on the field.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (46-81) start a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals (64-61) tonight at 7:05 pm. Mitch Keller (4-10, 6.35) looks to make it two good starts in a row against Miles Mikolas (0-1, 1.00). You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on 93.7 The Fan.
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